DeskToGlory
Adventurer
That's the plan John! We should be shipping to Veracruz next April/May...
Desk To Glory - Vancouver to Panama (or farther...)
- Thread starter DeskToGlory
- Start date
That's the plan John! We should be shipping to Veracruz next April/May...
John and Mandi
Observer
Great! Our idea is to be leaving Mexico around April/May, not accounting for how much more or less time the US part of our trip will be. Maybe we'll go a bit slower, do Baja twice, do Belize twice, just make a border run to extend our Mexican visas, do the full 60 day Alaskan circuit recommended by the Church's or mooch off my Sister in San Diego for a while (purge the van and tighten it all up) before entering Mexico. If we can make it happen we'll see you there. 52 days for us so 54 for you!
-John
-John
DeskToGlory
Adventurer
Only 48 days to go until our departure! Mocha Salt just posted an interview about our thoughts on travel, Central American mechanics, and spending time outdoors. http://www.mochasalt.com/journal/the-journey-continues/
Last edited:
Expedition.Report
Explorer
Great article!
Looking forward to seeing an update in 50 days!
Looking forward to seeing an update in 50 days!
DeskToGlory
Adventurer
Keep an eye on Instagram and Facebook for the quickest updates!
IG: @desktoglory
FB: www.facebook.com/desktoglory
DeskToGlory
Adventurer
So... we have been asked a couple of times for advice for driving to Central America. What were our favourite places? It's a very general question, but since I just summarized it for an email and I'll just go ahead and copy/paste it here.
-
The two biggest pieces of advice for navigation would be to use the Skobbler GPS app (about $10 with unlimited world maps) and the iOverlander.com app. Both work offline without cell service. Combine those with paper maps and you'll never get stressed out about finding a place to sleep or figuring out how to get there.
-
These are mostly roads off of the beaten path that we had a blast on. Each are between 1-3 days of driving.
-
Let the rambling commence!
-
Baja California
-
Our general route is mapped out here:
-
http://desktoglory.com/baja-california-summary-39-days-in-paradise-for-1386/
-
All of the places we stayed are now on iOverlander (input by Song of the Road).
-
We especially likeed our extended beach stays at Gonzaga Bay, El Coyote, and La Gringa (Bay of L.A.)
-
These were a few fun routes:
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South along "Highway 5" (really just a washboard/rocky track) from Gonzaga Bay (we camped at 29.788538, -114.394978, see http://desktoglory.com/bahia-san-luis-gonzaga/ for pictures) to Coco's Corner N29 31.032 W114 17.464 (Sorry for the different types of coordinates) to Highway 1. Approx 70km at 15km/h. Worth a stop at Coco's.
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The road west from Loreto to San Javier Mission and then continuing west to Highway 53 We camped along a river at 25.634817, -111.619478 (Don't let the kid with the machete scare you off). We were there a few weeks after a big storm. A lot of the road was washed out and required about five water crossings (max was 18" deep when we were there Dec 2013). http://desktoglory.com/missions-mudbaths-and-machetes/
-
Cabo San Lucas north-east along the coast to Cabo Pulmo and then back up to La Paz was great as well.
http://desktoglory.com/cabo-san-lucas-lands-end-and-the-east-cape/
-
Mainland Mexico
-
We didn't explore too much off of the main roads in Mainland Mexico, but we really regret not spending any time at the Copper Canyon after seeing photos from others.
-
In Oaxaca we did get to spend some time in the Pueblos Mancommunados and Benito Juarez. Great views from Benito Juarez and nearby hikes http://desktoglory.com/oaxaca-and-the-pueblos-mancommunados/.
-
It might be fun to head through Mexico City: http://desktoglory.com/mexico-city-i-want-to-ride-my-bicycle/
-
...stop at the Teotihuacan Pyramids: http://desktoglory.com/teotihuacan-pyramids/
-
...or stop in Palenque: http://desktoglory.com/palenque-welcome-to-the-jungle/
-
The Yucatan Peninsula will definitely be the most expensive part of the trip, but the beaches are of the nicest we saw. http://desktoglory.com/the-oliver-family-visits-the-yucatan/
-
Belize
-
Our first day we drove to Sartejena and camped at the Backpackers Paradise Hostel. We left our truck here for three days when we took a water taxi to Caye Caulker. http://desktoglory.com/caye-caulker/
-
The Coastal Highway from The Belize Zoo (we didn't go here, just using as a reference) south to where it connects to the Hummingbird Highway had great scenery. Fast dirt roads and two-track. Averaged 70-80 km/h on the dirt here. Definitely a fun road. http://desktoglory.com/the-road-to-hopkins-village/
-
Take the Hummingbird Highway up to Spanish Lookout and be in awe of what looks like middle-America. Lots of Americans have relocated here and it'll feel like you're back home. The Sunset Diner (I think that's the name) food truck has wicked burgers which were a nice change from rice and beans. We explored the Pine Ridge Mountain Forest Reserve (just west of Spanish Lookout) for a few days.
-
http://desktoglory.com/mountain-pine-ridge-forest-reserve/
-
Guatemala
-
Tikal is a must-see. http://desktoglory.com/goodbye-belize-hola-guatemala-tikal-ruins/
-
The road (Highway 7 or 7E) from Rio Dulce to Coban and then to Lanquin was spectacular. The following day we drove from Lanquin to Semuc Champey. Mostly on dirt roads. One of the top 3 drives of our trip. http://desktoglory.com/lanquin-and-semuc-champey/
-
Costa Rica
-
The Nicoya Peninsula was another one of our favourite routes. Hwy 160 (30km/h dirt roads) south from Tamarindo to Montezuma took a couple of slow days. We were there just before rainy season and only had a couple of small water crossings to deal with. Most of the road parallels the coast so there's always something nice to look at. http://desktoglory.com/nicoya-peninsula-costa-rica/
-
The two biggest pieces of advice for navigation would be to use the Skobbler GPS app (about $10 with unlimited world maps) and the iOverlander.com app. Both work offline without cell service. Combine those with paper maps and you'll never get stressed out about finding a place to sleep or figuring out how to get there.
-
These are mostly roads off of the beaten path that we had a blast on. Each are between 1-3 days of driving.
-
Let the rambling commence!
-
Baja California
-
Our general route is mapped out here:
-
http://desktoglory.com/baja-california-summary-39-days-in-paradise-for-1386/
-
All of the places we stayed are now on iOverlander (input by Song of the Road).
-
We especially likeed our extended beach stays at Gonzaga Bay, El Coyote, and La Gringa (Bay of L.A.)
-
These were a few fun routes:
-
South along "Highway 5" (really just a washboard/rocky track) from Gonzaga Bay (we camped at 29.788538, -114.394978, see http://desktoglory.com/bahia-san-luis-gonzaga/ for pictures) to Coco's Corner N29 31.032 W114 17.464 (Sorry for the different types of coordinates) to Highway 1. Approx 70km at 15km/h. Worth a stop at Coco's.
-
The road west from Loreto to San Javier Mission and then continuing west to Highway 53 We camped along a river at 25.634817, -111.619478 (Don't let the kid with the machete scare you off). We were there a few weeks after a big storm. A lot of the road was washed out and required about five water crossings (max was 18" deep when we were there Dec 2013). http://desktoglory.com/missions-mudbaths-and-machetes/
-
Cabo San Lucas north-east along the coast to Cabo Pulmo and then back up to La Paz was great as well.
http://desktoglory.com/cabo-san-lucas-lands-end-and-the-east-cape/
-
Mainland Mexico
-
We didn't explore too much off of the main roads in Mainland Mexico, but we really regret not spending any time at the Copper Canyon after seeing photos from others.
-
In Oaxaca we did get to spend some time in the Pueblos Mancommunados and Benito Juarez. Great views from Benito Juarez and nearby hikes http://desktoglory.com/oaxaca-and-the-pueblos-mancommunados/.
-
It might be fun to head through Mexico City: http://desktoglory.com/mexico-city-i-want-to-ride-my-bicycle/
-
...stop at the Teotihuacan Pyramids: http://desktoglory.com/teotihuacan-pyramids/
-
...or stop in Palenque: http://desktoglory.com/palenque-welcome-to-the-jungle/
-
The Yucatan Peninsula will definitely be the most expensive part of the trip, but the beaches are of the nicest we saw. http://desktoglory.com/the-oliver-family-visits-the-yucatan/
-
Belize
-
Our first day we drove to Sartejena and camped at the Backpackers Paradise Hostel. We left our truck here for three days when we took a water taxi to Caye Caulker. http://desktoglory.com/caye-caulker/
-
The Coastal Highway from The Belize Zoo (we didn't go here, just using as a reference) south to where it connects to the Hummingbird Highway had great scenery. Fast dirt roads and two-track. Averaged 70-80 km/h on the dirt here. Definitely a fun road. http://desktoglory.com/the-road-to-hopkins-village/
-
Take the Hummingbird Highway up to Spanish Lookout and be in awe of what looks like middle-America. Lots of Americans have relocated here and it'll feel like you're back home. The Sunset Diner (I think that's the name) food truck has wicked burgers which were a nice change from rice and beans. We explored the Pine Ridge Mountain Forest Reserve (just west of Spanish Lookout) for a few days.
-
http://desktoglory.com/mountain-pine-ridge-forest-reserve/
-
Guatemala
-
Tikal is a must-see. http://desktoglory.com/goodbye-belize-hola-guatemala-tikal-ruins/
-
The road (Highway 7 or 7E) from Rio Dulce to Coban and then to Lanquin was spectacular. The following day we drove from Lanquin to Semuc Champey. Mostly on dirt roads. One of the top 3 drives of our trip. http://desktoglory.com/lanquin-and-semuc-champey/
-
Costa Rica
-
The Nicoya Peninsula was another one of our favourite routes. Hwy 160 (30km/h dirt roads) south from Tamarindo to Montezuma took a couple of slow days. We were there just before rainy season and only had a couple of small water crossings to deal with. Most of the road parallels the coast so there's always something nice to look at. http://desktoglory.com/nicoya-peninsula-costa-rica/
John and Mandi
Observer
I've been putting off getting Skobbler, now called GPS Navigation (Sat Nav), until we launch. I decided to go ahead and get it today. The app is $1 but upgrading to get all World maps was another $10.99. I've seen this app recommended by several Pan-Am veterans so I went all out and spent the $11.98. I already have iOverlander so between the two apps, loading up our Garmin and acquiring paper maps we should be good. Speaking of, where's a good source for paper maps... CA and SA?
DeskToGlory
Adventurer
We didn't have paper maps for Central America. For SA we just grabbed the Nat Geo maps off of Amazon. Life Remotely recommended the Reise Know How maps.
We didn't have a GPS either, so once we installed the Skobbler GPS Nav app sometime in Mexico we were pretty stoked.
John and Mandi
Observer
Thanks Richard!
-John
-John
DeskToGlory
Adventurer
http://desktoglory.com/faq/
I've been answering lots of emails lately about our trip, truck, or general tips for driving through Central America. I've compiled most of them on our FAQ Page. Please feel free to ask anything else if you'd like!
Richard
I've been answering lots of emails lately about our trip, truck, or general tips for driving through Central America. I've compiled most of them on our FAQ Page. Please feel free to ask anything else if you'd like!
Richard
DeskToGlory
Adventurer
Just a couple of quick updates from San Jose...
Day 1:
https://youtu.be/omLw0pVwV_o
Day 2:
https://youtu.be/Lrn0af1N5YY
Day 1:
https://youtu.be/omLw0pVwV_o
Day 2:
https://youtu.be/Lrn0af1N5YY
DeskToGlory
Adventurer
Our very good friends put this short video of us together before we left on the second leg of our journey. It still gives me goosebumps when I watch it. :snorkel:
"We all define home in different ways. To a lot of people it's a specific city; for others, it's their parents' house. But, for some, home is a red Toyota pickup and the person sitting next to you.
Ashley & Richard are the overlanding duo that make up Desk to Glory. They hail from Vancouver, but you'll currently find them on the road, somewhere between Panama and Patagonia. That's all we'll say for now... for more of their story, check out the video below!
If we were able to capture even a fraction of their passion and drive, then we've done our job." - Koyo Photography
[video=vimeo;128329489]https://vimeo.com/128329489[/video]
"We all define home in different ways. To a lot of people it's a specific city; for others, it's their parents' house. But, for some, home is a red Toyota pickup and the person sitting next to you.
Ashley & Richard are the overlanding duo that make up Desk to Glory. They hail from Vancouver, but you'll currently find them on the road, somewhere between Panama and Patagonia. That's all we'll say for now... for more of their story, check out the video below!
If we were able to capture even a fraction of their passion and drive, then we've done our job." - Koyo Photography
[video=vimeo;128329489]https://vimeo.com/128329489[/video]
DeskToGlory
Adventurer
If you read only one of our 100+ blog posts make it this one.
The Lagunas Route from Uyuni, Bolivia to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile was by far the most ************ and memorable 474km of off road driving we have ever done. Put it on your bucket list and bring your friends. It's a great example of the diversity of rigs you can travel with.
The 1993 4Runner is completely stock save for a plywood sleeping platform in the back. Total cost: $3000 USD
Our 1990 Toyota Pickup still has less than $10,000 CAN into it.
And then there is the uber luxo and capable 2014 Sportsmobile for $100,000+
The best part is that no matter what rig you choose you can hit the road and find some adventure.
http://desktoglory.com/lagunas-route-bolivia/
The Lagunas Route from Uyuni, Bolivia to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile was by far the most ************ and memorable 474km of off road driving we have ever done. Put it on your bucket list and bring your friends. It's a great example of the diversity of rigs you can travel with.
The 1993 4Runner is completely stock save for a plywood sleeping platform in the back. Total cost: $3000 USD
Our 1990 Toyota Pickup still has less than $10,000 CAN into it.
And then there is the uber luxo and capable 2014 Sportsmobile for $100,000+
The best part is that no matter what rig you choose you can hit the road and find some adventure.
http://desktoglory.com/lagunas-route-bolivia/